Taken By Surprise: Part two of three
by Modpodge
Summary: Sequel to my story Being There, which was my first fic. So you have to read that one.... Very good Jack and Kate story.. other characters are also in it. SET AFTER SEASON TWO FINALE! Have fun and PLEASE REVIEW!
1. Dreams and Nightmares

Chapter 1: Dreams and Nightmares

"Don't you love the peace and quiet?" Kate asked Claire as the two waded in the ocean. Claire laughed and flung her head back.

"Yes." Claire answered.

"Aaron and Charlie seem to be having a good time." Kate said. Claire laughed and looked over at Kate who was putting her hair back up.

"He always wants to be with Aaron." Claire said. "I asked why and he said they were having some 'bonding time'." Kate smiled and laughed.

"Ahh... Charlie is certainly one of kind." Claire laughed and dunked under the water. Kate looked over at the shore to see Sun holding some plants.

"Hey Sun!" Kate yelled. Claire emerged from the water. Sun looked over and waved. She then nodded and walked away.

"She seems a lot happier." Claire mentioned. Kate nodded.

"Yeah she does. And that is a good thing." Kate said. She looked over at the beach again. She could see Charlie holding Aaron.

"I think I should go rescue him now." Claire said as she waded out of the water. Kate smiled.

"I'll come." Kate said. The two waded out of the water and clambered onto shore. They were both in shorts and t shirts and they walked up the beach over to Charlie.

"Well hello there you two." Charlie said. "You should dry off." He said. Claire just laughed.

"Who cares? It's really hot." Claire said. She looked around to see the other castaways in shorts and t shirts. Many of the others were also in the water. Charlie smiled.

"True." He said. Kate took that moment to wave good bye and walk over to her tent. Reaching the outside of her tent she pulled at a pair of jeans that was hanging outside her tent.

"Well hello there Freckles." Kate rolled her eyes and turned to see Sawyer staring at her. "Why so wet?" he said. Kate rolled her yes again and turned away.

"It's called water Sawyer." Kate said. He smiled and moved closer.

"Ahuh." Sawyer said. Kate went back to dragging her jeans off the line when she turned again.

"Did you want something?" she asked. Sawyer smiled and didn't reply. Kate stared at him. He then put up his hands defensively.

"Nah. Why do you always suspect that I _want _something?" Sawyer said. He turned around to leave when he bumped into Jack.

"Well hello there Jacko." He said. Jack smiled awkwardly.

"Sawyer." Jack replied. Sawyer turned to look at Kate and he then stumbled his way up the beach leaving them alone.

"Hey Kate." Jack said. Kate nodded.

"Jack." Kate said. Jack came over and stood beside her.

"Can I talk to you?" Jack asked. Kate nodded.

"Sure." She replied. The pair walked down the beach and Kate had her jeans still in her arms. Jack pulled her to the ground and they sat side by side looking at the ocean.

"Have you been feeling okay?" Jack said. Kate thought hard. It had been about a week since she recovered from her sickness she had gotten while being at the others camp.

"Yeah." Kate replied. She looked suspiciously at Jack.

"Why?" She asked. Jack exhaled.

"I've been told you've been dreaming." Jack said sprightly. Kate looked puzzled.

"Who? What do you mean?" Kate asked. Jack looked over at the camp.

"Hurley can hear you from his tent. So can Rose. They heard you talking in your sleep and moving a lot." Jack said. "Have you been having any weird dreams or nightmares lately?" Kate looked away from Jack. She didn't want to admit she had been having nightmares since the night she had recovered, the night after Jack had stayed with her to make sure she was okay. She looked up at Jack unable to think of what to say.  
"I would appreciate it if you told me the truth." Jack said. Kate looked into his eyes. She knew Jack was there for her, and she did find it hard to lie to him now. But she still did not want to admit it. Reluctantly she nodded her head.

"Just a little bit." Kate said. Jack looked at her worryingly.

"Well, you do remember what happened to Claire right?" Jack said. Kate gulped. She had not remembered that.

"I'm sure they are just normal dreams." Kate said as she stood to leave. "Don't worry." Jack stood also.

"I'm not worried." Jack said. "I'm just concerned." Kate started to walk away leaving Jack behind him. She stopped and turned smiling.

"Isn't that the same thing?" She asked as she turned again and walked back up to her camp, still clutching her jeans.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Somewhere in the distance, a man was watching a woman with brown curly hair walking back to the camp where many other people were staying. The man watched and took note of the things she did. That woman was carrying jeans, wearing an orange t-shirt and tan coloured shorts. Little did she know he had been watching her for days.


	2. False Hope

Chapter 2: False Hope

"Hey Freckles." Sawyer yelled as he tried to get Kate's attention. She had just finished eating some fruit for a mid afternoon snack as she rose. Sawyer could tell that she looked a little tired. Kate turned around.

"What do you want now Sawyer?" Kate asked Sawyer smiled and walked over to her.

"What?" Sawyer asked. "I can't talk to you?" Kate laughed.

"You want to talk to me?" Kate said with a smile on her face. Sawyer smiled.

"Maybe I do sweet cheeks." Sawyer said. Kate pushed him back.

"Maybe later. I promised I would help Sun with something." She turned and walked over in the direction of the garden.

"Oh, and don't call me sweet cheeks." she said over her shoulder and she disappeared into the bush.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jack was walking aimlessly around the forest now. He had already gone and found what he had been looking for. He had gone back to the hatch and was not surprised to see the hatch was still locked. He had been told by Sayid, Hurley, Sawyer, and Charlie what had happened. He still did not understand why the hatch decided to lock it's self. He was very close to the beach when he heard footsteps. He stopped, telling himself not to be frightened. He watched as he saw a figure push through some bushes. He peered through the bush to see it was only Kate.

"What are you doing?" Jack blurted. Kate jumped back in surprise and peered through the bushes.

"Jack?" She asked. Jack smiled and emerged through the bush. "What are you doing in here?" Kate asked. Jack smiled.

"You know. I did ask you first." Jack said. Kate smiled and adjusted her backpack. "I went back to the hatch to see if it was still locked. You could have come if you hadn't left me at the beach." Jack said. Kate looked up and took a deep breath.

"Oh." Kate said. "I was just going to go to the garden. I promised I would help Sun, even thou she didn't specify when..." Jack smiled.

"Well... she spends most of her time there." Jack said.

"That's true." Kate said. She stopped and looked over her shoulder. "Did you hear that?" Kate asked Jack. He shook his head.

"Hear what?" Jack asked. Kate peered through the bushes. This time Jack could hear the rustle. "Get away." Jack said. Kate did not listen.

"Kate!" Jack said. "Get away." At that moment something dark burst through the bush. Jack grabbed Kate and pulled her to the side forcing them both to the ground. Jack looked up to see a boar running through the trees. Kate had her head down on Jack's chest. She looked up.

"It was a boar." Jack said. Kate laughed and collapsed on him.

"We are so paranoid now." Kate said. Jack laughed too as his eyes met hers. Kate smiled and looked away. He could tell she was a little uncomfortable. She quickly got up and helped him up. She coughed and looked over to where the garden was.

"I'm going to go now." she said. Jack nodded and looked to camp.

"Okay. I guess I will see you later." Jack said. Kate nodded and walked away in the other direction. Jack exhaled as he watched her walk away. Soon he left and turned back to camp.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The man watched as the woman now left one of her fellow castaways. She walked through the woods towards the garden. The one she had been talking about all day. The man crept through the bushes wiping his brow. It had been a close call. He knew the man that was with her was very close to the woman, and he knew that if he had come with her, he wouldn't be able to carry out his plan. Clutching a bag in his hands he darted through the trees towards the garden.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jack emerged from the trees and decided it was time for a swim. He saw Sawyer sitting down poking a burnt out fire with a stick. He looked up as Jack arrived.

"Hey doc!" Sawyer said as he stood. Jack nodded in hello and bounded towards the ocean.

"Where are ya goin' superman?" Sawyer asked. Jack smiled and turned.

"Well I was going to go for a swim." Jack said. Sawyer nodded.

"What about freckles? Where is she?" Sawyer asked. Jack looked over at the garden.

"The garden. She went to help Sun with something." Jack said and he then walked over to the water leaving Sawyer by himself. Sawyer sat back down again and started to prod at the logs again. He looked over at Jack and then over at the garden.  
_That's weird, I though Sun was fishing with Jin... _Sawyer thought but he dismissed the fact and began to prod at the fire again.


	3. Sense of Worry

Chapter 3: Sense of Worry

Kate finally trudged over the deep soil of the garden. She looked around to see that Sun was not here.

_That's odd _she thought. She had been almost certain that Sun would be here. She did not see Sun at the camp, and she was told she had been here all day. _I even saw her carrying those plants back at the beach. _She turned thinking she should go back and check for her. She looked to the ground to see a bucket with many seeds in it and a few unearthed bulbs beside it. Kate smiled and kneeled on the ground. She shrugged picking up some seeds and began to work as she waited for Sun.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The man began to circle the garden to make sure that no one else was around. He watched the woman place her hand in a pail and deposit the beads into the soil. He watched as she carefully filled the small holes with more soil and patted it down. He looked around one last time before placing his hand into the nearly empty bag in front of him, taking out a long piece of cloth. He began to move towards the solitary figure out in the garden.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Need some help with that?" Jack asked. He was looking at Jin who was cooking the fish he had brought in. He shook his head and held out a cooked fish.

"Fish?" he asked. Jack smiled.

"Thank you Jin." Jack said. Jin nodded. Jack took that as a 'your welcome' and went to join the group that was sitting by the fire at the opposite end of the beach. They already had their fish. He sat down beside Sayid who was talking intently to Bernard.

"So you really were a soldier?" Bernard asked.

"Yes. I was." Sayid said. Bernard's eyes widened.

"Well that's very interesting! And I thought you were making all of those stories up!" Bernard said. Sayid laughed.

"I'm not that good of a story teller." Sayid said. He smiled and turned to Jack who had settled beside him.

"Hello Jack." Sayid said.

"Sayid." Jack said. Sayid placed another piece of fish in his mouth.

"Doesn't it seem different this time?" Jack asked as he nodded towards the fish he was holding. Sayid nodded.

"Yeah. It must be the herbs that Sun had added." Sayid said. Jack nodded.

"She's quite smart." Jack said. Sayid nodded in agreement.

"She sure knows how to cook that is." Sayid said. Jack looked up at the darkened sky.

"When did she do this? Wasn't she at her garden all day?" Jack asked. Sayid swallowed down another piece of fish.

"She was there a few minutes this morning, getting the herbs that she needed, but other than that, she was with Jin all day." Sayid finished and took another bite of fish. Jack suddenly felt a sense of worry. He didn't know why but he didn't feel too good.

"Jack?" Sayid asked. Jack felt dizzy and he didn't understand until he looked over at Sun.

"Kate..." he said to himself. Sayid stood.

"Is there something wrong?" Sayid asked. Jack looked around. He had not seen Kate all day. He knew he shouldn't get worried and worked up over not being able to see her, but he didn't know any better. He couldn't help but feel that way.

"SUN!" He yelled. She turned and smiled.

"Hi Jack." Jack walked over to her.

"Have you seen Kate at all today?" Jack asked. Sun shook her head, but then nodded.

"She was swimming with Claire earlier today." Sun said. Jack nodded.

"I know that." Jack said. Without another word he bounded off straight towards the garden.

"Jack!" It was Sayid and Sawyer. They had followed him.

"What?" Jack asked as he quickly turned around.

"Are you sure everything is okay?" Sayid asked. Jack stared but eventually shook his head.

"I don't know," he said, "For all I know, everything could be fine, but it could also be really bad." He turned again. "I just need to make sure she is okay." Jack said. Sawyer followed him with Sayid right on his heels.

"I guess we will come then." Sawyer said as he trudged up the hill after Jack. Jack then turned the corner and pushed through the bushes towards the garden. Sawyer suddenly collided with him as Jack stopped in mid step.

"What now doc?" Sawyer asked. Sayid walked up behind them.

"Did you hear that?" Jack said. Sayid nodded.

"It was talking." Sayid said. Sawyer hissed.

"Talking?" Sawyer asked.

"More like whispering." Jack said. He cautiously stepped forwards into the garden. Right before his eyes were three men standing in front of him.

"Hello Jack." came a familiar voice.


	4. Not The Time

Chapter 4 – Not the Time

Kate couldn't see anything and she couldn't feel anything but the rain dropping down on her body. She didn't have the strength to move. She was being carried on something by people... but who they were, she did not know. She could hear them talking.

"Why didn't we just take the guy too?" The first man asked. There was a shushing sound.

"She may be awake." another man replied very quietly, so quietly she could not recognize the voice. The dragging stopped and she felt someone starting to wiggle her. She tried her hardest not to move.

"She's still sleeping. We are fine." The first man replied. The dragging continued. Kate tried to move her hands but she found they were tied behind her back. She could feel the cloth that was tied around her mouth. She had a dreaded feeling deep inside. She felt like she could cry.

"We don't need the man yet." the second man said. Instantly Kate's eyes grew wide. _The bearded man? _Kate thought. She listened.

"What do you mean by we don't need him yet. It would have been much easier to just take him while he was with the girl!" The first man said. Kate did not recognize him. She heard Tom, the bearded man, groan.

"Just shut up will you?" Tom said.

"Why did you kick that boar? We could have gotten him there that way we won't have to come back." They first man said. Kate heard Tom laugh.

"You idiot. They got out before when they were together. What makes you think they wont this time!" Tom said louder than usual. The first man hushed him. Obviously they hadn't found out that Alex had helped them out their camp.

"This way, we can get them at separate camps. We all know what Jack is going to do once he realizes his little girlfriend is gone." Tom said in a lowered voice.

_Jack? Girlfriend? _Kate thought. She couldn't hear anything but the pounding of rain and the sound of her being dragged through the forest.

"You really are stupid. He is going to come and get her!" Tom yelled. The first man yelped in surprise and laughed.

"Good thinking. Henry will be happy with that." The first man said. She could hear Tom laughing with the first man and then the laughing subsided. They stopped talking. Kate was left listening to the rain.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Locke?" Jack said. He looked to see John, Desmond, and Eko in front of him.

"What in the hell are you doing here?" Sawyer said. The moment Locke opened his mouth Sayid pushed forward.

"Charlie told us you hid in a hatch, by the plane. You and Desmond." Sayid said looking confused.

"He told us you were DEAD!" Sawyer said in awe as he looked at Eko. "And you definitely do not look dead 'oh holy man'." Sawyer said sarcastically.

"I am not dead." Eko replied. Jack looked up at Locke.

"Where have you been? Have you been in that hatch?" Jack asked. Locke looked surprised.

"I didn't know anyone else knew about it." Locke replied.

"There is another hatch?" Desmond asked. He still looked drunk from the day they found him. Ignoring him Jack sat down.

"What the hell happened to you?" Jack asked. Locke took the time to sit down as everyone else followed suit. Locke took a deep breath.

"Now is not the time to talk about the hatch." Locke said. Jack was about to throw a rock at him when he spoke, looking very concerned.

"We followed a man through the forest." Locke said. Jack dropped the rock he was tightly holding.

"A man?" Jack asked.

"He was with another man. But he left him a while back and came to the camp." Locke said. Sayid took a deep breath.

"What did the man look like?" Sayid asked.

"One was tall and lanky, dark brown hair. The other was bigger, had grey hair and a beard." Locke said.

"FAKE beard." Desmond added. "We some him take the thing off. Why would anyone want to wear that?" He stopped and looked at Jack. Jack's eyes were bulging and Sawyer's mouth was hanging open.

"What?" Desmond asked. Jack gulped.

"We know the bastard." Sawyer replied. Locke went to open his mouth.

"WE KNOW HIM!" Sawyer yelled.

"Sawyer..." Sayid started.

"HE'S THE ONE WHO TOOK US AND TIED US UP! HE CAPTURED AND BEAT ME! YOUR TELLING ME THAT YOU FOLLOWED THIS MAN HERE, AND YOU DIDN'T RUN AHEAD TO WARN US?" Sawyer yelled. Sayid pulled him back down.

"Sawyer!" Sayid yelled. "You must be quiet!" Sawyer took a deep breath and sat down.

"Where are they now?" Jack said.

"They are gone." Eko said. Locke turned and gave Eko a warning glare.

"Where?" Jack asked. Desmond laughed.

"They had a girl with them. The one you are always with." Desmond said. He laughed as Jack's eyes widened. Sawyer and Sayid followed suit.

"The girl with the brown hair, Kate I believe is her name." Desmond added.


	5. Rescue Misson Number 99

Chapter 5: Rescue Mission #99

She hardly noticed that they were starting to slow down. The ground was harder and it was rockier. The night was completely dark, even though Kate couldn't exactly tell. She could hear the breathing of the two men who had dragged her for quite some time. Kate could hear water falling. It wasn't the rain, but it was something familiar.

"Let's see if she is up." said the first man. She heard footsteps. She felt herself fall forward as they pulled the blanket out from underneath her, which they had used to pull her with.

"Hello Kate." said Tom. "Nice to see you again." Kate turned onto her back and tried to sit up. She was pushed back down.

"Well..." Tom said. "Obviously she is up." The bag was removed from her head. She looked around. It was dark and she was somewhere in the forest. To her right just outside the trees she could see a fountain.

_Why is that so familiar? _Kate thought.

"She looked back at the men and noticed they were staring at her. The first man laughed. He was slapped by Tom.

"What was that for?" The first man asked. Tom snarled at him.

"You have to be quiet. You know who may be out here looking for a little friend of mine." Tom said as he gestured towards Kate who was now sitting up on the ground. Kate knew exactly what they were talking about but she also knew that they didn't know.

"I'd untie you sweetheart." Tom started. "But I'm afraid I can't do that hear." Tom laughed quietly as he started to walk around her.

"Someone may hear you. And well, that would not be good. Would it Kate?" The first man said. She could tell that Tom did not like the man. He stared him down every time he opened his mouth to speak.

"Come with me Jerry." Tom said as he used his finger to beckon him over to where he was standing. The man named Jerry silently walked over to him leaving Kate to sit by herself.

_What do I do now? _Kate thought.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Jack!" he heard Sayid running after him through the bush. "You need to stop for one second! Explain-" Sayid was cut off as he bumped into Jack who had stopped running and turned to face Jack.

"Sayid." Jack said. "The man with the beard. He took us, he was one of the others that had taken us. He must have come back and taken her when no one else was around." Jack took a deep breath.

"Okay." Sayid said. Sawyer caught up.

"Where is Locke and-" Jack started as Sawyer put up a hand.

"They are back at the camp. Quite a lively bunch I tell ya." Sawyer said. He also lifted a bag. "I thought you may need some food and water for this journey." Jack made a grab for it when Sawyer pulled it out of reach.

"And of course, I will be coming." Sawyer said. "Let's go!" Sawyer said. Jack ran up ahead and took the lead as Sayid followed behind both of them.

"Jack!" Sayid yelled. "There is no need to run. They will have made camp somewhere." He watched as Jack slowed to a walk in the distance. It was hard to tell where they were going, because it was so dark. Suddenly Sawyer laughed.

"What's so funny Sawyer?" Jack asked. "The fact that Kate is in the hands of some crazy person?" Jack didn't seem all that happy.

"Nah," Sawyer said. "It's just this is like rescue mission number 99." Jack looked back with his eyes cross and then looked back ahead. Sayid gave a tiny laugh.

"That is true." Sayid said.

"And we do care about getting your little girlfriend back so don't be getting your panties in a bunch." Sawyer replied. After that, everything went silent.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Charlie! Wake up!" It was Claire. She was shaking Charlie violently.

"What?" Charlie said as he quickly got up. "What happened?" Claire sat and ran her fingers through his dishevelled hair.

"Nothing is wrong, don't you worry now." Claire said. Charlie relaxed a bit.

"Good. Now what did you wake me up for?" Charlie asked as he rubbed his eyes as he heard a loud chatter coming from a group in the distance.

"It's Locke, and Desmond. They're here!" Claire said excitedly as she tried to pull Charlie up.

"WHAT?" Charlie said. Claire pulled him up and he looked around. "Where are they?" Claire pointed across the beach.

"They are over there." she said. Charlie took a step forward when Claire put her hand on his arm.

"What?" Charlie asked. Claire looked up at him.

"You know what you said, about the hatch blowing up?" Claire said.

"Yes..." Charlie answered. Claire took a deep breath.

"And how you said Eko died in the explosion." Claire continued. Charlie looked over at her.

"Yes." Charlie said. Claire looked over at the group huddled by the beach.

"Well... oh Charlie... Eko isn't dead." Charlie's eyes grew wide.

"No..." Charlie said as he started backing away.

"Charlie... it's okay." Claire said as she took a step forward. Charlie collapsed on the ground.


	6. Out Cold

Chapter 6: Out Cold

Charlie didn't know what to think. He didn't know what to do or to say. All he could do was listen. He could hear Claire soothing him as he stared out the tent at the group of people. Locke, Desmond, and Eko were surrounded by many of the castaways who were asking question after question about what really happened. The funny thing was, that none of them really knew, at least that was what they were saying. Charlie felt like he was going crazy.

"He was dead." Charlie said. Claire looked over at him.

"Eko?" Claire asked. Charlie nodded.

"I felt his pulse and everything." Charlie said. Claire looked over.

"Maybe he regained consciousness or something." Claire said. Charlie nodded but shook his head at the same time.

"This place is driving me crazy!" He said as he stood. "The hatch was blown to pieces, and we go back down there to see it look perfectly normal! I thought Eko was dead and now he is alive." Charlie started to raise his voice and people from the group were starting to turn.

"Charlie..." Claire started.

"I had a dream that they were in a hatch, Locke and Desmond. And know they are here! With EKO!" Charlie boomed. He stopped as Aaron started to cry. Everyone at camp was now staring at Charlie. He took a deep breath.

"I need to go for a walk." Charlie said. He got up and left the tent. He then got a searing pain through his head. He clasped his hand to his head.

"You okay Charlie?" he heard Locke call from a few metres away. Charlie nodded.

"Yeah. Where is Jack? I think I should talk to him." Charlie said. Locke pushed through the people that were standing in front of him.

"He isn't here." Locke said. Charlie looked up in pain.

"Where did he go now? Of on another rescue mission?" Charlie asked with sarcasm. Locke laughed.

"Actually, that's exactly where they went."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The bag was replaced over Kate's head after the men had finished discussing whatever it was they were discussing. The group had decided to make camp for the night. She could hear the crackle of the fire and their hushed voices. She pretended to be asleep again as they came over to make sure she was asleep.

"Is she sleeping?" Tom asked. Jerry lifted the hood and looked at her closed eyes.

"Yeah." Jerry said as he dropped the cover. Kate heard him move away from her. She heard him sit down on the ground and shake a can.

"Man I'm hungry!" Tom exclaimed.

"Well good thing I brought this!" Jerry said as he shook the can again. The two men laughed and started to cook their dinner. Kate couldn't help but hear her stomach rumble. She hadn't eaten since that morning. She managed to move around a bit and feel her surroundings. She was hugged up tight to a stone wall, probably a cave wall. She could feel it with her hands, which were still tied up. She could hear the foot steps again.

"I knew you weren't really sleeping you know." Came a voice. A leg came out of no where and struck Kate in stomach.

"Aggh!" Kate managed with the gag in her mouth. Jerry laughed.

"That will teach you to lie to us." Tom said from the distance. Kate could hear him chew in the distance. She could also hear the pounding water. She decided to attempt to talk.

"Cwn ew tke off mwe berg?" Kate said. Jerry laughed.

"What was that pumpkin?" Jerry asked. Kate crossed her eyes in anguish. Jerry lifted the bag off her head. Kate looked around her. She remembered the cave so very clearly. It was the cave that she, Jack, and Sawyer had stayed in that night they had run away from the others.

"Happy now?" Jerry asked. Kate nodded. Tom came over holding a bowl.

"Why did you take that off?" Tom growled. He came over mad and pushed Jerry away.

"NOW SHE'LL KNOW!" Tom quickly picked up the bag and placed it back over the head. He then picked up a stick.

"You can't remember any of that." Tom said and with a thud he threw it at Kate's head, knocking her out cold.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been hours. Jack was cold and tired, but he was not ready to give up. He cared about her to much to quit now. He could hear Sawyer grunting behind him and Sayid quietly taking up the rear.

"I think we should make camp." Sayid mentioned.  
Both Jack and Sawyer turned and glared at Sayid.

"Sorry I mentioned it." Sayid said as Jack and Sawyer continued to walk. Jack was looking down at his feet when something caught his eye between the trees.

"Stop." Jack whispered. The others stopped behind him. He looked at the small light that was coming through the trees.

"Do you see that?" he asked. Sawyer walked up to him and stood right beside him.

"Well I'll be." Sawyer said. It was a fire. Nobody was out here but them, and the others.

"That must be them" Jack said as he bounded forward.

"No!" Sayid said as he grabbed Jack's arm.

"Why not?" Jack retorted. "Kate may be there and really hurt!" Sayid took a deep breath.

"Yes I realize that. But if we take her now, they may just come back. Don't you want to get rid of them?" Sayid asked. Sawyer nodded.

"I want to get those fricken' bastards-" Sawyer started as he clenched his fists to his side. Jack stopped and started to move closer.

"Fine." Jack said. "Then we should tail them, and nab them before they get to their camp." Sayid smiled and made his way to the bush.

"We'll get them when they are sleeping." Sayid said and he cracked his knuckles.


	7. Wait For Me

Chapter 7: Wait For Me

Her head hurt. It was banging and she couldn't feel anything. Opening her eyes she saw nothing but darkness.  
_The bag_ she remembered. She tried to move but her head hurt so much she could hardly move. The gag was still on her mouth. She attempted to spit it out but it didnt work. She dropped her head to slide the bag off. It came off withen a few seconds. She smiled at the bag.  
_Can't even put a bag on right _she smiled to herself. She looked up. It was still dark. She looked around to see the fire had gone out. The two men were sleeping in the corner of the cave. She could see their chests rise and fall as they slept. She tried to move her way towards the entrance of the cave but her head hurt so much. She doubted she would ever be able to leave. Using as much strength as she could she inched towards the entrance.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Okay. Are you ready?" Sayid asked. Jack nodded and stepped in front of him.

"Let's go." Jack said. Sayid and Sawyer followed. They silently made their way through the bush and they reached the fire.

"Hey, I remember this place." Sawyer whispered. Jack nodded as he looked over at the waterfall.

"It's where you pushed Kate and I in." Jack said. Sawyer smiled.  
_Not the moment that I was thinking of _Sawyer thought to himself. He watched as Jack moved towards the entrance to the cave. Sawyer took a deep breath and followed.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What happened?" Charlie asked. Him and Locke now sitting in front of a blazing fire on the beach. Most of the other castaways were now asleep. He watched as Locke gave a shrug.

"To tell you the truth Charlie, I don't know." Locke said. Charlie gulped.

"What do you mean by you don't know." Charlie asked. Locke diverted his eyes and looked over at the woods.

"I don't remember anything. All I rememeber was what happened at the hatch. Then I saw a very bright violet light and then I was somewhere on the island." Locke said. Charlie looked confused but astonded at the same time.

"Some where else?" Charlie poundered. Locke nodded.

"Yes. We were transported or taken somewhere else on the island. I woke up to see Desmond there and strangely enough Eko." Locke said. "I thought you would be there too... but you weren't." Charlie nodded but smiled in an odd way.

"You know what's weird. After that explosion, I saw Eko." Charlie said. "And he was lying on the floor. He was dead. I checked his pulse and everything. Dead Locke! DEAD!" Charlie said. Locke went to talk but Charlie was not finished.

"And Sawyer and I went down the hatch to see if there was anything left that was salvagable. I didn't think there would be much because you know, the explosion." He took a deep breath and continued on.

"So we go down there and what do we see? NOTHING! It was the same that it was before the explosion. Everything was back on the shelves, the dishes were back in the cupboards, the food was still there..." Charlie began to tremble.

"And then the bloody alarm goes off and the doors start to go down. We ran and made it past the door that leads to the front entrance of the hatch. Sawyer and I were trapped in there for hours until someone came and found us." Charlie stopped and looked away from Locke. He stood up and went over to the ocean.

"You must think I am crazy." Charlie said. He turned to see Locke stand and turn towards camp.

"Nah, I don't" Locke said. "I've seen crazier." And with that he smiled at himself and walked back up the beach to camp

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He was only a few meters from the cave. Jack quickly bounded forward and touched the wall of the cave. Sawyer and Sayid ran beside him. They stopped and put their backs to the wall.

"Ready?" Jack whispered. The other two men nodded. Jack silently turned the corner and he let his eyes adjust to the darkness. He could see two figures huddled in the far corner and right in front of him a person tied up. He could she was Kate. She was swooning back and forth on holding her head. He could see the pool of blood on the floor and the blood on her head. Jack was stunned. He felt Sawyer nudge him in the back and Jack took a step forward.

All of a sudden a loud alarm went off. Jack didn't hesitate to stop when he bounded forward for Kate. She looked up as the alarm went louder and she saw Jack. She started shaking her head. Jack moved to try to comfort her when he saw two figures come from the darkness. He turned to hit them when they hit him first. He watched as Kate managed to spit her gag out.

"JACK! RUN RIGHT NOW!" Kate yelled. Jack rose to his feet dazed as the other men ran forward. She shook her head.

"PLEASE GO!" Jack could hear her crying.

"GO. THEY WILL HURT YOU. PLEASE." Kate yelled. Jack could hear her crying. He didn't want to leave and he didn't want to disobey her. He turned and followed Sayid and Sawyer out of the cave. Who had one of the men chasing them with a gun. He heard shots going out. He could see the tall man coming for him.

"Wait for me." Jack said as he turned to run.

"WAIT FOR ME!"


	8. Out of Ideas

Chapter 8: Out of Ideas

"What in bloody hell was that?" Sawyer spat. He was hiding behind the bush with Sayid who was clutching his arm.

"Something wrong?" he heard Jack say. They both turned to see Jack without Kate.

"Where is she?" Sawyer asked. Jack took a deep breath.

"I couldn't get her." Jack said. As Sawyer was to take an aggressive step forward, Sayid stood forward.

"My arm. I got shot." Sayid said. Jack quickly walked over to him and took his arm. He inspected it.

"Don't worry. It was a through and through. I think you'll be fine." Jack said. He dropped his bag and pulled out a clean shirt.

"Tie this around it." Jack said. Sayid nodded and began wrapping the shirt around it. Sawyer stared at the caves wondering what the men were up to.

"Now what boss?" Sawyer asked. Jack stared at the ground and put his head up. He was shaking his head.

"I don't know. I don't know. They want her for something, but what? I don't know." Jack answered and he sat down on the rough ground leaning back watching the sun starting to rise.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She was being dragged again. She could feel her arms hanging off the thing they were carrying her with the sun beaming down on her head. She opened her eyes, once again to the darkness of the bag. She felt the gag back in her mouth, tighter than usual. She hoped that Jack knew what she was trying to tell her. Kate was having flashbacks of what had happened just a few hours ago.

_Wait for me? _Kate thought as she thought about what Jack had said. She knew that he was going to try and get her back as soon as possible, but she didn't want him to get hurt in the run.

"Princess is awake." she heard Jerry say. The dragging stopped and she felt herself being sat upright. The bag was pulled off her head. The first thing Kate saw was woods. She had never seen this part of the woods before. Tom laughed.

"Confused sweetie?" Tom asked. Kate burrowed her eyebrows and stared at Tom. He laughed.

"Take the gag out." Tom ordered. Jerry leaned forward and untied the gag. Kate spat as the gag was released from her mouth.

"Where are we?" Kate asked.

"Nowhere really." Jerry said. "The middle of the woods. We are on our way to a REAL secluded place." Tom hit him.

"Idiot." Tom stared him down and finally let go of his gaze.

"I just stopped to give you some water. You're no good to us dead." Tom said as he gave her water. Kate refused it at first.

"Drink it." Tom said. Kate pursed her lips together further. Tom dropped the water.

"Fine then. Die the slow way." Tom said. He replaced the gag and the bag. Kate could no longer see anything and she felt herself being pushed back. The dragging began again.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Where are we?" Sayid asked. Sawyer and Jack were walking a bit in front of him pushing their way through the bushes.

"Who knows." Jack said as he stared at the ground. Sawyer took a deep breath.

"We are in their country." Sawyer said. Sayid looked suspicious.

"Their country?" Sayid asked. Sawyer stopped.

"Yes Ghandi, their country. You know, where THEY live." Sawyer said. Jack stopped and turned around.

"Sawyer would you just quit it." Jack said. Sawyer looked up.

"Quit what? I'm not the one leading us into the middle of the forest." Sawyer retorted. Jack turned and kept walking.

"We are out of ideas! How are we going to find her?" Sawyer yelled. Jack kept walking. Sayid pushed in front of Sawyer.

"Look at the ground." Sayid said. Sawyer stared as Sayid continued walking and he then looked at the ground. He could see marks as if someone was dragged. He also saw two sets of faint footprints. Without another word, Sawyer followed the rest of the group.


	9. Escaped and Alone

Chapter 9: Escaped and Alone

"Charlie." Charlie looked up to see Eko standing in front of him.

"How long have you been there?" Charlie asked. Eko stood still emotionless.

"Long enough." Eko answered. He watched as Charlie looked out at the sea. He looked back at Eko.

"Did you want something Eko?" Charlie asked. Eko smiled.

"Is it true I was dead?" Eko asked. Charlie looked angry but didn't answer him. Eko stared at him. Charlie looked up again at Eko who was waiting for his answer.

"Okay. Yes I did." Charlie said. "I saw you dead. Blown up by the stupid hatch." He took a deep breath. "But your not dead anymore." Eko took a step forward.

"No I am not." Eko said. He looked to the sky.

"I wanted to ask you something." Eko said. Charlie threw a rock in front of him.

"What?" Charlie asked.

"Would you like to go to the hatch with me?" Eko said. Charlie laughed.

"It's locked." Charlie said. Eko shook his head.

"No it's not." Eko said. Charlie laughed again.

"Oh so now you can see the future?" Charlie said. "Where the hell is your voodoo stick?" Eko ignored him and pointed to the woods.

"The hatch." Eko said.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kate opened her eyes. The bag was off. She looked around. Tom was sitting over on a log peeling some fruit while Jerry was rummaging through his bag. Tom looked dup the instant he felt Kate's eyes on him.

"Hello." Tom said. He stood up and pushed the fruit in her face. "Hungry?" Kate felt her stomach growl. She shook her head. Tom shrugged and went back to his spot on the log. Kate watched as the sunlight faded to darkness, and a new fire grew in the middle of the clearing. Kate's eyes were filled with tears. She felt horrible.

"What's the matter?" Jerry asked as he wondered up to Kate. "Miss your boyfriend." Kate's eyes narrowed and filled with more tears. Jerry laughed.

"Come look at this Tom." Jerry said. Kate felt worse.  
He laughed as he walked over with his fruit.

"What now Princess?" Tom asked. Kate wanted to punch him. She fiddled with the ropes that bounded her. The men continued to laugh at her.

"To bad she can't do anything." Jerry exclaimed. "We are going to catch your little friend and we are going to kill him." Jerry said. Tom laughed.

"He will be missed." Tom said. Kate's slid the rope of her hands and quickly punched Tom in the nose.

"OWWWWW!" He yelled. Kate took this moment to run. She ran down the forest as fast as she could. She could hear yelling from behind her.

"GET HER! KILL HER IF YOU HAVE TOO!" Tom yelled. She could hear pounding footprints behind her. Kate continued to run and she quickly darted behind a tree to her left. She stood behind it until she saw Jerry run past it. She could see Tom running up behind him holding cloth to his nose. He stopped about 5 meters in front of tree.

"GET BACK HERE JERRY!" Tom yelled. Kate knew if he came back, she would be seen. She gulped silently and goes down on her knees. She started to crawl through the bush. She would look back to see Tom clutching his cloth.

_Please do not look over here _Kate said to herself. She was only 2 metres from large tree she could hide behind.

"She got away!" Kate froze as she heard Jerry's voice. She could see him walking down the bend. He was breathing hard. Kate took the time to shuffle forward and hide behind the tree. She peeked around it to make sure they hadn't seen her.

"We will get her back." Tom said. "She has escaped and she's alone. She doesn't even know where she is."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Stop." Jack said. He held out his hand. Sawyer and Sayid stopped and looked over his shoulders.

"What?" Sawyer asked. Sayid put his finger to his mouth.

"Shhh..." Sayid said. Jack peered through the bushes.

"You are such an idiot." They heard the voice coming down the path. Jack quickly leaped

behind a bush and Sawyer and Sayid quickly followed.

"I mean, she's a girl! You can run faster than her!" It was the Tom the bearded man. Jack could see Sawyer's opening his mouth and Sayid put a warning finger up to his lips.

"I didn't know her ropes were untied!" Jerry protested. Tom laughed holding his nose.

"Right. You tied them! I knew I should have just done them myself!" Tom said. The two walked past and rounded the corner. Jack looked over at Sayid and Sawyer whose mouths were wide open.

"She escaped." Sayid said. Sawyer closed his mouth.

"And now she's alone in other country." Sawyer exclaimed.


	10. Regained Memories

Chapter 10: Regained Memories

Kate knew that every step she took was a gamble. She knew the two men were out there somewhere looking for her. The worst case would be that they went back to their camp to get more people. Kate sighed as she trudged through the forest. The worst part of it all was that she did not recognize any of it. She had never been near this part of the island. Every so often she would hear noises, and she would duck or bolt behind a tree. Kate hated the feeling of alone. She never used too. She used to like being alone, being without people. But since the crash, Kate could feel herself becoming attached to certain people.

_Sun, Sawyer, Jack... _Kate thought.

_Jack_. Nothing could explain what how she felt about him. Deep down she knew she really cared for him and she also knew that she would never be good enough for him.

_What does he see in me?_ She would ask herself.

Kate's thoughts were interrupted as she heard a sound. She stopped and looked up. A large bird swooped down and flew up through a set of trees. Kate smiled at herself as she continued walking aimlessly out in the forest.

-----------------------------------------------------------

"We have no idea where we are going." Sayid said. "We need to find footprints, a track of some sort." Sawyer laughed.

"Like that is going to happen." Sawyer said. "All there is grass and trees and hills." He then suddenly stopped. Jack looked back as the sound of their feet vanished.

"What?" Jack asked. Sawyer looked around carefully and took in a deep breath.

"I've been here before." Sawyer said.

"Really?" Sayid asked. Sawyer nodded.

"This is where we came through, from the other side of the island. Where Jin, Michael and I were. The tailies brought us through this way. This is where..." Sawyer's voice trailed off.

"Where what?" Jack asked. Sawyer looked up at Jack.

"This is where the other chick was taken." Sawyer said.

"The other chick?" Sayid asked.

"Yeah!" Sawyer said. She was with Ana Lucia and Libby and them. I can't remember her damn name." Jack stepped towards the group.

"Taken?" Jack asked. Sawyer nodded.

"Yeah. I remember something about..." he stopped and scrunched up his face as he tried to remember. "I was being carried in a stretcher; I had collapsed because of my arm. There was another woman with us. I can't remember her name. I couldn't see anything but I could faintly hear them talking." Sawyer said. Jack nodded.

"That can happen." Jack verified. Sawyer continued.

"They were walking and I remember Ana Lucia asking where she was. They yelled for her, but she was no where near. She was taken by those fricken' others." Sawyer said. Sayid took a step forward.

"I guess that means we should leave this area then. Shouldn't we?" Sayid said. He began to walk forward and Jack sprung ahead. Sawyer then grunted and followed his fellow castaways down the forest path. Then suddenly a voice cut the silence.

"Cindy." It was Sawyer. Sayid and Jack stopped and turned around to look at Sawyer. He shrugged.

"That was the chick's name." Sawyer replied.

--------------------------------------------------------

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Charlie asked. He and Eko were about 5 minutes away from the hatch's back entrance door. "I was there. You know. A few days ago. The door was locked. I seriously doubt that it will be open now. Even Jack said that. You know I was here when it happened. It was-"

"STOP!" Eko yelled. Charlie stopped as Eko had turned and yelled in his face.

"Okay... okay..." Charlie said. Eko turned and began walking forward again. They walked in silence until they reached the hatch door.

"Try opening it." Charlie said. "It won't open." Charlie crossed his arms and waited as Eko walked over to the door. He put his hands on the wheel and started to pry. The wheel would not budge. Charlie grew a smile on his face.

"You may want to try harder." Charlie suggested. Eko did not look up from the wheel as he pulled at it again. Charlie's smile grew wider.

"I told you mate! I told you it is locked!" Charlie said. Eko tried again. Charlie started to laugh.

"What did I tell-" At that moment the wheel started to move. Eko did not look up as he turned the wheel and the door opened. Charlie's mouth dropped open.

"Let's go." Eko said as he wedged the door open.


	11. Worst Enemies

Chapter 11: Worst Enemies

_Is he god? _Charlie asked himself as Eko stepped into the hatch door. Charlie didn't know what to think. The last week or two had been a nightmare. Him thinking everyone was dead, the hatch being destroyed, and now the hatch is unlocked. Charlie did not like it. He thought he was going crazy. He stopped thinking as he saw Eko's head appear in the door.

"Charlie." Eko said. Charlie looked at him. He did not say anything.

"Come." Eko said. Charlie let out his breath. He slowly walked up to the door. He followed Eko inside. They walked down the stairs from the door and into the hatch. Charlie could not believe his eyes. The hatch was a mess again. Of course, it was not as messy as it was the first time he had seen it after the explosion but there were things thrown around.

_What the? _Charlie thought as he picked up a book from the ground. He looked through and it saw Eko from the corner of his eye. He could see Eko poking through a pile of things that were on the ground. He picked up a piece of wood and started to closely examine it. Charlie couldn't help but walk over.

"What are you doing?" Charlie asked. Eko smiled and looked up. He metioned towards the walls.

"What do you think?" Eko said. He pointed to the walls.

"I think your smelling wood for no reason." Charlie answered. Eko put a smile on his face.

"I meant what do you think about the hatch?" Eko said. Charlie scuffed his shoe on the ground and sat on a discarded pillow.

"Um..." He looked around. "It's a complete mess in here?" Charlie said. Eko walked over to him and picked up and object from the ground.

"What do you notice about the things in this room?" he asked. Charlie looked at the object in his hand.

"The things are..." Charlie looked through his brain for words. "Things are... broken?" Eko smiled again.

"No." Eko said. He went back to the large pile and picked up more objects.

"All these objects," Eko said as he laid them out in front of Charlie, "have no metal in them. Nothing in here does anymore." Charlie looked up. He looked around the room. He could not believe his eyes. Everything that had some sort of metal had dissapeared. The metal off the benches and the handles in the kitchen had been ripped off. Charlie looked back at Eko.

"What does that mean?" Charlie asked. And at that time Eko chose to be quiet.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been a day. There was not much trees here for Kate to pick fruit off of. She had only eaten 2 pieces of fruit that day. She had jsut woken up from a long night of tossing around trying to sleep. She found a bush with a burrow in it to hide in in case the men were still after her. She was now walking along the forest trying to find out how to get back to her camp. As she walked through the forest, she thought back to the dream she had last night. And it really was a weird one.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_She was sitting in a prison cell. Kate didn't know what she was doing there. The last thing she remembered was laying underneath the bushes hiding from the others who were trying to find her. She looked up. There was nothing in her room but an old toilet and a cot. There was also a tiny sink by the bars that held her in. She looked down again at her feet. She looked back up as she heard people walking down the hallway. She stood as a man and a woman stopped outside her cell.  
_

_"Katherine." The woman said. "We are ready for you." Kate was confused.  
_

_"Ready for what?" Kate asked. The man smiled.  
_

_"For your trial dear." The man was old and he had a very bushy mustache. Kate smiled as the man opened the door and let her out.  
_

_"Aren't you going to cuff me?" Kate said. The man shook his head.  
_

_"No. We trust you. And if this trial goes the way we want it, you should be fine." The man said. She was lead down the short hallway and into a small room.  
_

_"Wait here until you are called." The wamon said as she left the room. The man sat down on her left and began leafing through a newspaper. He looked up at Kate who was paralyzed to the spot.  
_

_"You okay dear?" He asked. Kate shook her head.  
_

_"I'm a little confused here." Kate said. The man smiled.  
_

_"That's okay. It's normal for some people." The man went back to his newspaper.  
_

_"Gregory Haltoy representing Katherine Austin. Please step into the courtroom. The man got up and walked over to Kate.  
_

_"Ready?" The man asked. Kate was confused.  
_

_"I guess..." Kate said. And the man led her out the door._

_After that Kate's dream skipped points and that part was foggy in her head. The next thing she saw was herself in a small room with her everyday clothes on. A man came over and took out a key.  
_

_"Your arms miss." The cop said. Kate put her arms out and the man unlocked the cuffs that were attached to her wrist.  
_

_"Thank you." Kate said. The man smiled and nodded.  
_

_"You are very welcome." The man turned to elave but stopped as he reached the far door. He turned.  
_

_"I knew you didn't do it. You were just... to nice a person." The man said.  
_

_"Did what?" Kate asked. The man laughed.  
_

_"You know, blow up your father. I knew it was only a gas leak."The man opened the door. _

_"Don't take it with you." He said and he left the room. Kate was stunned. She turned and left the room. She exited the prison doors and headed down the path towards the parking lot. Once she reached it, she realized that she didn't have to ride home. She also realized she didn't have a home. She took a deep breath and turned to go back into the prison.  
_

_"Kate." A voice called out. Kate stopped dead. She knew that voice. She turned around and stopped as she couldn't believe her eyes. Standing only a few meters away from her way no one other than Jack._

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kate's thoughts were interupted as she heard loud voices. She instantly ducked and walked forward. She could see three men backing away from something. She walked a little closer.

_OH MY GOD _Kate thought to herself. It was Jack, Sawyer, and Sayid. She knew that they would come for her. She was about to call out to them when she saw the two people she dreaded the most, their worst enemies.


	12. Getting There

Chapter 12: Getting There

"I wouldn't take another step if I were you." The chilly voice rang through the air and Jack looked up from the group. The two men that had been after Kate all day were standing right in front of them. Kate was nowhere to be seen.

"Where is Kate?" Jack asked. Tom laughed.

"Oh she is still with us." Tom said.

"Yeah... we have her in hiding. You'll never find her." Jerry exclaimed. Tom gave him a slap on the back. Sawyer took a step forward.

"Don't you touch a ha-" A rock pelted out of nowhere and hit him in the head.

"OW!" Sawyer said as he grasped as his head.

"I told you not to take a step." Tom said. Jack looked out to the forest.

"How many more out there?" Jack asked. Before Tom was able to answer a man came out, and Alex. Jack's mouth swung open and Alex stared at him, waning him not to say a thing.

"Just us." The man said. Alex nodded. Jack knew she was telling the truth.

"What do you want?" Sayid asked. Tom looked up.

"And where are you from?" Tom asked. He took a step towards the group.

"Pardon?" Sayid asked. Tom laughed.

"Where are you from?" Tom asked again.

"Iraq." Sayid said. Tom nodded.

"Thought so." Tom said. Sayid eyed the man.

"Why do you ask?" Sayid asked. Jack elbowed Sayid in the side.

"On my call-" Jack whispered. Tom started talking.

"You know there is a lot we could do with you-" Tom said.

"Take your gun-"

"A great part of our, let's say, civilization"

"And shoot above them."

"Come with us." Tom ended. Sayid nodded and started to whisper to Sawyer. Tom and his two man friends started closer. Jack could see Sawyer reach to the gun he had hidden in his pants.

"NOW!" Jack yelled. Both Sawyer and Sayid pulled out their guns and aimed over their heads. They all shot causing the others to quickly duck to the ground. Jack saw a figure drop to the ground to his left in the trees.

"RUN!" Jack yelled. The three quickly turned and ran through the forest. He jumped and hurdled fallen tree logs as they made their way back through the forest. He looked to his right to see the figure was still running.

"What is that?" Jack yelled. Sayid looked at him. He shrugged and sped ahead of him. Jack decided to ignore it and keep running. They turned the bend and stopped running. He watched as Sawyer waved him over to a rock. Jack sprinted over and followed him down a path. They watched as the others sped by and out of sight. Jack collapsed on the ground and he watched as Sayid and Sawyer did the same thing. Jack quickly looked up back at the path that they had hidden down.

"I'll be right back." Jack said. "I thought I saw something." He started up the hill.

"Want us to come with?" Sawyer asked. Jack shook his head.

"Nah." Jack said. "Just stay here."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What do we do now?" Charlie asked. Eko was pacing around the small room. He looked up every so often and would stop. And then he would go back to pacing. This was his routine for the past hour.

"What do we do?" Charlie repeated. Eko stopped.

"We must wait." Eko said. Charlie let out his breath.

"Wait for what?" Charlie said. "Santa Claus?" He stood and bolted over to Eko.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE WE DOING HERE?" Charlie asked. Eko stopped pacing again.

"We are waiting for a sign." Eko said. Charlie put his arms to his side as Eko paced again.

"A sign." Charlie stated. "Great." He sat. Eko walked over to the hall that lead to the room with the computer in it. Charlie watched as he disappeared around the corner. He waited for a few minutes but Eko never returned.

"Eko?" Charlie asked. He quickly stood and crept over to the hallway.

"Eko?" Charlie called. He turned the corner to see Eko standing by the wall with his ear to the wall that was blocking the entrance to the computer room.

"What in god's name are you doing now?" Charlie asked. Eko smiled.

"Come here." Eko said. Charlie came over. He stood waiting for Eko to continue.

"Ahuh. And what?" Charlie finally said. Eko pointed at the wall then at his ear.

"Listen." Eko said. He then pressed his ear to the wall. Charlie slowly but willingly put his own head against the wall. All he could hear was a whirring, buzzing sound.

"Ahuh." Charlie said. Eko smiled.

"What do you hear?" Eko asked. Charlie felt like he was in a job interview.

"What do I hear?" Charlie said.

"Yes." Eko said. Charlie lifted his head from the wall.

"Um... a whirring sound. Kind of a buzzing sound..." Charlie said. Eko nodded his head.

"Yes." Eko said. "And what kinds of things make those noises. Charlie placed his head on eh wall again.

"The buzzing sound... it's like a machine. And the whirring. Yeah... it's like a machine!" Charlie exclaimed. Eko nodded.

"Yes." Eko said. Charlie nodded then stopped.

"That means...?" Charlie prompted. Eko took a step away from the door and looked over at Charlie.

"Charlie, what is behind that door?" Eko asked.

"The computer." Charlie said. Then he got it.

"The computer... the button..." Charlie stopped. He then looked up at Eko.

"The alarm hasn't gone off!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jack crept back down the path. He was intending to find out who that person was. He knew it wasn't the others. Alex had assured him that it was not them. Jack slowly turned the corner and stepped over a log.

"Jack!"  
He tripped over the log and landed face first in the mud.

"Oh! I'm sorry Jack." It was Kate. She was running towards him. Jack didn't care that his face was all muddy. He quickly used his shirt to wipe it off as he stood. Kate slowed as she was about 2 metres from him. She had a small, sad smile on her face.

"Kate." Jack said. Kate looked up into his eyes. Jack couldn't stay away from her any longer. He stepped forwards and swept her into a large hug. He could feel her wrapping her arms around his neck and her digging her head into his neck.

"I can't believe you are all right." Jack said. Kate looked up and he could see the tears that were welling in her eyes.

"Are you okay?" Jack said as he released her. More tears fell from her eyes. Kate silently shook her head. She came forward and stopped right in front of Jack.

"I'm sorry." Kate said. She turned and walked back. Jack was stunned. He ran up and caught up to her grabbing her arm.

"Kate..." Jack said. She stopped and turned to him.

"What?" she asked. Jack couldn't say anything. He took a deep breath.

"It's okay." Jack said. He then took Kate into another big hug. He could feel her tense up a bit. He let go of her. She looked up into his eyes and smiled.

"I'm happy you are okay." She said. She nodded towards the path that leads to Sayid and Sawyer. "We should get back." Kate said. She then turned and walked back down the forest. Jack smiled and fell into step with her. He then looked ahead of him and felt Kate's hand brush up against his. He looked to his side and saw her face turn a little red. This time Jack moved his hand over and grabbed a hold of it. She did not hold onto him but she did not refuse him. As they made their way down the step path towards the others he felt Kate squeeze his hand. He looked over at her again.

"How are we going to get back?" Kate asked. Jack looked at Sayid and Sawyer as they came into view.

"I don't know." Jack said. He squeezed her hand as their two friends ran up in greeting. "But we will get there soon."


End file.
